Teething or ear infection?

[rallytog1]

I'm sure this has been done to death, so apologies.

15mo dd has not quite been herself for about a week. I had a little feel in her mouth and can feel molars breaking through in 4 places, so she must be in quite a bit of pain. However, I'm not sure if I'm being too quick to dismiss it as teething or whether she might actually be ill as well, so wondered if you lovely people could adjudicate!

Symptoms are:

• occasional temperature spikes, but these are irregular and short-lived
• unwillingness to eat any food that isn't soft and cool
• drinking plenty of water and milk - she seems to find a bottle comforting
• really disrupted sleep
• totally fine and happy as larry one minute, then completely distressed the next
• gums look sore and swollen
• unusual poo and nappy rash
• an insistence on chewing on a mega blok at all times
• she has no cold/flu symptoms like a runny nose or weeping eyes (her eyes have always been the giveaway when she's been properly ill in the past)

The more I write that list, the more I think it probably is her teeth. If you agree, does anyone have any ideas how long this might last?!

[TurquoiseCat]

This does sound like teething ime. Sadly it lasts as long as the teeth are growing and not broken through yet, so it depends on how quick the teeth grow!

The poo/sore bum is to do with the excess saliva - try not to feed her anything acidic ATM (oranges and stuff like that).

A cold wet flannel (damp it and then put in the fridge) makes an excellent teether/soother. Calpol for the temp/general pain.

Sorry I can't be more help!

[rallytog1]

We have slooooooow teeth unfortunately

Will try the flannel thing though - she is a bit of a flannel sucker in the bath, so she might quite like that. Thanks for the tip.

I guess the one good thing about teething is it never goes backwards - each day is one day closer to the full set!

[Hatetidyingthehouse]

We thought our little one was teething. Took him to docs as he wasn't eating. Turned out it was ear infection and teething. Take to doctors they may give antibiotics

[rallytog1]

Thanks. We ended up at the doctors yesterday as she woke up with a mouth full of ulcers. He doesn't think it's anything bacterial but hand, foot and mouth is looking like the likely culprit now...